Chapter 241: Seventy Consecutive Wins, Level Sixty‑Six

Another six months passed in a blink, and the slaughter of Gu Xuan and Du Gu Yan never ceased, continuing on.

Inside the Hell Carnage Arena, Gu Xuan was already surrounded by nine people; he had long become the greatest threat in their eyes, for his win count far exceeded theirs—seventy wins, meaning over a thousand had died at his hands.

Adding the first month, Gu Xuan and Du Gu Yan had been in the City of Carnage for seven months; in just seven months, Gu Xuan had already won seventy matches.

This means Gu Xuan averages at least ten matches per month—a figure unheard of in the City of Carnage for thousands of years.

Now Gu Xuan also bears a title here: Asura, the Asura King from Hell.

Du Gu Yan also has her own title, though it's a nickname others gave them, it truly fits them.

Although Du Gu Yan is slightly weaker than Gu Xuan, her win count also reaches sixty‑five, only five less than his, and her nickname is Rakshasa, the Rakshasa Queen!

At this moment, the other nine people in the Hell Carnage Arena had surrounded Gu Xuan; their eyes showed fierce exteriors but weak interiors, for they knew that if they didn't kill Gu Xuan first, none of them would survive.

A hint of blood red appeared in his icy, dark pupils; a cold, bloodthirsty killing intent spread from him in an instant—this was the killing intent Gu Xuan had accumulated and comprehended from endless slaughter over the past seven months!

Closing his eyes, he seemed to enjoy the trembling of these fallen ones around him; only by constantly struggling on the edge of life and death could one grasp the true essence of real combat.

Roars and howls, nine voices almost simultaneously erupted from the nine directions around Gu Xuan, as the nine opponents lunged at the center where he stood.

He snapped his eyes open, watching the nine people rush from nine different directions, yet it did not disturb Gu Xuan's composure in the slightest.

His form flickered like an illusion, his feet as if fitted with springs; relying on his terrifying explosive power, Gu Xuan's body flashed in an instant to stand before one opponent.

The next moment, the steel knives in their hands were already embedded in their own necks.

He sidestepped, kicked, raised his right hand, and the dark gold, sharp three‑foot claw sliced off another head.

His body twisted and turned repeatedly; Gu Xuan held nothing back, the boost from his martial soul possession combined with the horror of the Dark Gold Terror Claw—within a single round, only two people remained on the field.

The two left were the strongest of the nine, both Soul Saints in cultivation.

But here, soul power level isn't everything, for even ordinary people have a chance to fight a regular Soul Master.

If they could use soul skills, those two might pose a slight threat to Gu Xuan, but in the City of Carnage, any soul skill is nullified.

After being forged by the Three Great Immortal Herbs, two External Soul Bones, and the higher‑level absorbed Soul Rings, Gu Xuan's bodily strength surpassed theirs by an unknown degree; soul power is certainly important, but without soul skills it has no absolute effect in battle.

The two moved simultaneously, targeting Gu Xuan; under the force of their abundant soul power, they charged from two different angles in a pincer movement.

Their mental power had completely locked onto this seventy‑win Asura King before them; they knew victory or defeat would be decided in this moment, and this was their only chance.

Gu Xuan curled his lips, his strong legs bursting forth like a cannonball as he lunged first at the Soul Master wielding a great hammer.

The Dark Gold Terror Claw first deflected the opponent's great hammer, then split his body into six segments; turning, he erupted again, the same scene replaying—within less than thirty seconds of the match start, only Gu Xuan's silhouette remained on the stage at the center.

"Asura King! Asura King! Asura King!"

Countless fallen ones roared; although they feared Gu Xuan's strength and cold‑bloodedness, it did not dampen their excitement at the moment.

Seventy‑one wins—Gu Xuan had stepped closer to a hundred victories.

…………

City of Carnage, a dark and spacious room.

There stood an extraordinarily huge chair, its arms inlaid with blue and purple crystals that traced the shape of a bell tower; aside from the chair, everything in the room was dark red.

"The Asura King won another match." A cold female voice echoed in the gloom.

"I know." A cold voice sounded as a tall figure sat upon the great chair.

In the darkness his features were indistinct, only his tall, stalwart build could be made out.

"Your Majesty, should we begin contacting him? The City of Carnage has long lacked any true powerhouse to join." The female voice rang out again, now softer, losing its chill.

The tall man seated upright on the chair did not answer, but instead countered: "Do you think he is a true powerhouse?"

In the dim room, the woman's silhouette was unseen, only her voice sounded again: "Setting aside strength, at least in skill he is."

"The Asura King seems born for the City of Carnage; his soul power isn't exceptionally strong, but his myriad techniques are terrifyingly strong—even a Titled Douluo could not kill him here without soul skills."

"The skill of his External Soul Bone gives him a tremendous advantage here; with that claw, he is indeed a powerhouse in this place, and I guarantee he still bears at least one more soul bone on his body."

"The Carnage King fell silent for a moment, then his voice slowly sounded: 'Do you think he can complete a hundred bouts and challenge the Hell Road?'"

"For him, reaching a hundred wins is only a matter of time. But the Hell Road, he probably can't make it through." The female voice hesitated, then replied.

"The Carnage King said coldly: 'No need to contact him.'"

"Why? Great King, don't you want our City of Carnage to become stronger? Although we had an agreement with the Spirit Hall a thousand years ago, who knows when they'll tear it up?"

"The Carnage King said coldly: 'The Spirit Hall presently has no time to manage us.'"

"The Carnage King spoke no more, waving his hand as the dim room plunged into total darkness, and the female voice fell silent."

"In the darkness, the Carnage King's pair of eyes shone like blood‑red rubies as he gazed at the vault, seeming to see through it a purple moon."

"Is this the will of the gods?" a low voice murmured in the darkness.

"He waved his hand, and a thick stream of dark‑red liquid flew from before him; in that darkness, a huge pool of congealed blood appeared before him."

"He opened his mouth and swallowed the blood into his belly; in the dim light, two fangs faintly showed."

…………

"Gu Xuan stepped down from the stage, while Du Gu Yan on the stands had already arrived at the entrance of the Hell Carnage Arena—because she was here, no one dared approach the arena's gate."

"Seeing Gu Xuan's figure, Du Gu Yan waved at him, came to his side, and linked her arm with his, minding none of the blood on him."

"Congratulations, little Xuan—we're another step closer to a hundred bouts; before long we'll be able to enter the Hell Road." Du Gu Yan said affectionately to Gu Xuan.

"Gu Xuan heard this, gave a wry smile, and replied: 'Yanzi, the chances for us to participate in future Hell Carnage Arena bouts are likely fewer; I had to wait a whole week for today's match, and if those people's one‑year limit weren't nearly up, I'd probably have waited even longer.'"

"Initially Gu Xuan estimated it would take over a year to reach a hundred wins, then charge the Hell Road."

"But now it seems it might take even longer."

"Because as Gu Xuan and Du Gu Yan grow stronger and their fame spreads, whenever they enter a match, others basically refuse to sign up."

"Because in matches against the Asura King and the Rakshasa Queen, besides death, there is hardly any other outcome."

"Du Gu Yan also shook her head, saying: 'All this can only be left to fate; it's not something we can force.'"

"Let's go." Gu Xuan said, and together with Du Gu Yan he walked out of the Hell Carnage Arena.

"When they left, no one dared ambush them; seeing the pair, others fled far away. Now the names of Gu Xuan and Du Gu Yan are known throughout the City of Carnage—no one dares provoke the 'Two Great Evils' anymore."

Returning to the courtyard, Gu Xuan and Du Gu Yan each meditated and cultivated; even here they did not waste a moment.

The killing intent gathered in the City of Slaughter had little effect on them; suppressing it posed no major problem for the two.

In addition, Du Gu Yan absorbed a fifty-thousand-year spirit-congealed wisdom skull; moreover, the two could rely on each other and trusted each other completely, so far they have not been affected by the killing intent.

After all, the fundamental reason is that they have not eaten any food from the City of Slaughter; for over seven months they have consumed only what they brought themselves, so there is no influence.

Furthermore, Gu Xuan and Du Gu Yan already carried plenty of miraculous medicines, making their life here fairly nourishing.

However, Hu Liena was not so fortunate; she had been in the City of Slaughter for over a year and now had a terrifying sixty-eight consecutive victories, yet her physical condition was far inferior to Gu Xuan and Du Gu Yan.

Gu Xuan could predict that if no one helped her, she would basically be unable to leave; even if she achieved a hundred wins, on the Hell Road she would absolutely not be able to get out.

It is not that Gu Xuan is heartless and unwilling to help Hu Liena; rather, her affiliation is with the Spirit Hall, which will surely become a major enemy of the Seven Treasure Glazed Sect in the future.

Now helping Hu Liena would be raising a tiger to invite disaster; Gu Xuan not killing her and taking her bones is already merciful.

After over seven months, Gu Xuan's soul power rose from the initial sixty-first level to a terrifying sixty-sixth level; seven months gave him a full five levels of soul power, meaning that in a little over a month his soul power could increase by one level.

Moreover, despite his rapid rise, Gu Xuan's soul power showed no superficiality or unstable foundation; instead, it was solid and steady.

Gu Xuan's rapid improvement naturally came from absorbing and refining the soul power in the Hell Slaughter Arena.

Du Gu Yan has also reached the sixty-sixth level, still on par with Gu Xuan, but recall that initially Du Gu Yan's soul power level was one level higher than Gu Xuan's.

The reason Gu Xuan caught up is naturally because his efficiency in absorbing and converting soul power exceeds Du Gu Yan's.

Du Gu Yan has just broken through to the sixty-sixth level, while Gu Xuan has already reached the peak of the sixty-sixth level.

Even others, geniuses like Hu Liena included, cannot match Gu Xuan and Du Gu Yan, for her efficiency in absorbing and refining soul power cannot compare to theirs.

If Hu Liena disregarded her condition and forcibly absorbed and refined that soul power, her strength could indeed increase rapidly, but then she would soon likely go mad, becoming a lunatic who knows only killing.

ps: typos will be corrected later.

(end of chapter)